R Ashoka Targets DK Shivakumar Over Drought Response

Ballari: Accusing the Karnataka government of ignoring the worsening drought situation, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka on Thursday took a swipe at Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, saying he was "busy with cockroaches in Delhi" while "cockroaches and locusts" were destroying crops in the fields and farmers were being pushed into distress.

Addressing reporters at Karekal in Ballari district after inspecting drought-hit villages, Ashoka alleged that the state's finances had deteriorated after DK Shivakumar assumed office as Chief Minister. "After the new government took charge, the dams are empty, the treasury is empty, and the state's finances are empty," he claimed. He further alleged that old-age pension payments had been pending for the past three months and that around Rs 5,000 crore under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme for January and February were yet to be released and Yuva Nidhi scheme had not helped the youths.

The BJP leader also accused the Congress government of diverting money. Referring to the recent CJP protests in Delhi, he alleged that food supplied through Swiggy and Zomato to protesters was paid for using Karnataka's funds. He also drew a similarity with the Valmiki Corporation scam.

"The treasury is empty and has been looted. Just as Rs 184 crore from the alleged Valmiki Corporation scam was diverted to Ballari during the Ballari Lok Sabha election, Karnataka's money was spent on Swiggy and Zomato during the protest," he alleged.

He said that the agrarian crisis had deepened across the state due to deficient rainfall and that the government had failed to respond with either relief measures or a formal drought declaration.

Stating that he had toured several districts, Ashoka said farmers everywhere were in distress. He said crops which should have shown substantial growth by this stage of the season had either failed to germinate or had withered due to the prolonged dry spell.

"There is not even a small sprout in many fields. Farmers have stopped visiting their farms because there is nothing left to save," he alleged.

Ashoka demanded that the government waive farm loans up to Rs 1 lakh, provide compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for crop losses and establish goshalas with adequate fodder to protect cattle from distress conditions.

He accused the government of delaying the drought declaration, saying that unless drought was officially notified, farmers would not receive insurance money. He further alleged that Deputy Commissioners, Tahsildars and other revenue officials had failed to conduct field inspections or crop loss surveys in affected villages.

Ashoka also criticised district ministers and MLAs, alleging that they had remained absent despite the worsening crisis. "The district minister is nowhere to be seen. Ministers are busy lobbying in Delhi for cabinet posts while farmers are struggling in villages," he said.

He alleged that migration had already begun from several drought-hit tandas, with people leaving for Maharashtra and Goa in search of work. He claimed the government had failed to generate employment under the VBG Ramji scheme, under which eligible rural workers could have been provided up to 90 days of employment to prevent distress migration.

“The state government is neither enforcing any measures nor utilizing the central government schemes to help the people,” he alleged.

Warning that the drinking water situation could deteriorate further in the coming weeks, Ashoka alleged that the government had made no advance preparations. "If immediate measures are not taken, tanker operators will begin exploiting the situation, and officials will make money," he claimed.

He urged the government to constitute district-level task forces headed by local MLAs and release Rs 50 crore to every taluk. According to him, borewell drilling and drinking water arrangements require at least a month to complete and should have already begun.

He alleged that the state government had become one of the worst administrations Karnataka had witnessed and claimed that when he served as Revenue Minister, drought relief had been distributed within a month. "If you are capable, govern the state. Otherwise, step down," he said.